United Nations/New Delhi: On the third anniversary of the Ukraine conflict, the UN General Assembly voted to approve a European-backed resolution demanding the immediate removal of Russian forces from Ukraine. India abstained along with 64 others, while significantly the US voted against it along with Russia.
A second resolution, moved by the US avoided directly blaming Russia for the Ukraine conflict.
However, this resolution saw multiple amendments moved by European nations, blaming Russia for the Ukraine conflict. This resolution too saw India abstaining.
The first resolution, L.10, submitted by Ukraine and European countries, titled “Advancing a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine”, was adopted with 93 votes in favour, 18 against, and 65 abstentions.
The United States voted against it in an apparent shift of its position, under the Trump administration which is trying to broker peace and is holding talks with Russia.
The second resolution, L.11, proposed by the United States, titled “The path to peace”, was originally of three paragraphs – mourning the loss of life during the “Russia-Ukraine conflict”, reiterating that the UN’s main purpose is to maintain international peace and security and peacefully settle disputes, and urging a swift end to the conflict and a lasting peace
However, the General Assembly agreed to add language supportive of Kyiv to Washington’s text. The European amendments added references to the “full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russia” and reaffirmed the UN’s support for Ukraine’s sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity.
The amended US-drafted resolution was adopted with 93 votes in favour, while 73 states, including India, abstained and eight voted against it. The US too abstained after the language was changed.
European nations are concerned about US overtures to Russia by the Trump administration in talks to end the war.
“Multiple resolutions … have demanded that Russia withdraw its forces from Ukraine. Those resolutions have failed to stop the war,” Acting U.S. Ambassador Dorothy Shea said before the vote. “What we need is a resolution, marking the commitment from all U.N. member states to bring a durable end to the war.”
